Colour and Snow at the Chateau d’Oex Balloon Festival

26th January – 3rd February 2019

Did you know that the first balloon to fly round the world without stopping began its journey from Château-d’Oex back in 1999? It was known as the Breitling Orbiter and on board was Betrand Piccard and Brian Jones and they managed to complete their record-breaking journey in just twenty days.

Every year in January Château-d’Oex in Switzerland attracts balloonists and balloon enthusiasts from all over the world. Located between Gstaad and Gruyère, the town is invaded with huge colourful balloons as everyone gathers for the International Hot-Air Balloon Festival.

This year the festival starts on 26th January and continues until 3rd February 2019. To give you a feel for what it’s like take a look at some of the photos here.

It’s a stunning spectacle to behold. Against the backdrop of the snow-capped peaks the sky is filled with colour. Approximately 100 balloons take part in the festival which dates back to 1979 when the first balloon festival took place and which was organized by Hans Bücker and Charles-André Ramseier.

Not only did we get fabulous views of the snow capped mountains all around, but it was a fabulous vantage point from which to see all the other balloons taking part in the festival.

Please note, however, that balloon flights are highly dependant on weather conditions! Sometimes there are great climatic conditions one day and terrible ones the next but every morning from 8am they have a hotline number available (026 924 25 24) so that you can check for the latest news and information.

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